1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rear portion structure of a vehicle body for a saddle-type vehicle including pillions that support the feet of a passenger on the vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, there have been available rear portion structures of a vehicle body for a saddle-type vehicle which include: a rear frame provided rearwardly of a main frame section of a vehicle body for supporting a driver's seat and so forth, and wherein a foldable/retractable pillion step for a passenger on a rear portion of the vehicle body is attached to the rear frame, a rear portion structure of a vehicle body wherein a stay for supporting the pillion step is fastened to the rear frame in a direction extending leftward and rightward (for example, refer to Patent Document 1 or 2) and another rear portion structure of a vehicle body wherein the stay is fastened substantially in an upward and downward direction on the rear frame (for example, refer to Patent Document 3).
[Patent Document 1]—Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-55489
[Patent Document 2]—Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-237898
[Patent Document 3]—Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-232166
Incidentally, the technique disclosed in the Patent Document 1 or 2 is disadvantageous in that, since a hole for fastening a stay or the like is formed on the rear frame itself, this is likely to have an influence on the rigidity of the rear frame. Further, since a fastening bolt is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body, it is likely to degrade the appearance of the rear portion of the vehicle body.
Meanwhile, the technique disclosed in the Patent Document 3 discloses an application involving a single rear frame of a box type which is open upwardly, and indeed the rear frame rigidity is improved. However, such a configuration cannot be applied to a popular type of vehicle body rear portion which includes a pair (left and right) of rear frames. Also, such a configuration is poor in universal use.
In view of the foregoing, there is a desire for an attaching structure for a pillion step e.g., the above-mentioned stay, which can also be applied to a popular vehicle body rear portion including a pair (left and right) of rear frames and which takes rear frame rigidity into consideration.